


Stay here tonight

by rhysiana



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caught in the Rain, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon, We'll just assume they all graduated from high school and went to college like normal yes?, glad we got that straightened out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 12:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16832815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhysiana/pseuds/rhysiana
Summary: Stiles' Jeep won't start in the rain and Derek offers him a place to stay for the night. (Out of the entirely altruistic good of his heart.) Belated realizations on both sides ensue.





	Stay here tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Moving Tumblr ficlets over for posterity. Written in response to the dialogue prompt: “Stay here tonight.” “I’ll keep you warm.”

The rain had started—with a truly sky-cracking peal of thunder, no less—just as the gathering had started to wind down anyway, and Derek could hear everyone laughing and yelling final goodbyes as they dashed to their cars. They’d all go back to their respective homes for the rest of winter break now, and that was such a normal, mundane thought it made him smile. He might see them again before they left or he might not; it was fine. (Mostly.) Scott’s pack were all growing up—including him, it seemed. He was pretty sure they all still had moments of finding it surprising, but he, for one, was trying to get used to it.

He didn’t realize he’d been mentally counting each of the pack cars out of the parking lot until it registered that he’d never heard Stiles’ engine. He was crossing the loft for the door before he even heard the muffled “Shit!”

Sure enough, when he got outside, there was Stiles standing in the pouring rain, hood of the Jeep up and a wrench dangling uselessly from one hand.

“Come back inside.”

“Augh!” Stiles jumped and turned, brandishing the wrench. “Jesus, don’t do that.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “Stiles, it’s 2am in the middle of a thunderstorm. Leave it. Come back inside. Stay here tonight.”

Stiles darted an uncertain glance back at his Jeep.

“You said your dad’s working tonight anyway. We’ll fix it in the morning.”

Stiles’ shoulders slumped in defeat. “Yeah, okay.” He shut the hood and threw the wrench into the passenger seat before trudging back up the stairs after Derek.

He was shivering by the time they made it back into Derek’s loft and stood dripping miserably in the middle of the floor while Derek went to get him a towel.

“Goddammit, why me?” he muttered as he toweled off his hair vigorously, quietly enough Derek wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear.

“Well, if you’d just let me pay for some real repairs to Roscoe like I’ve _offered_ ,” Derek answered anyway, figuring he didn’t care if the question had really been rhetorical.

Stiles emerged from the towel with wild hair Derek longed to smooth down and wide eyes. “Um, yeah. Roscoe. That was totally what I meant.”

Derek raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Stiles heaved an enormous sigh that ended with, “Fuck it.” Another shiver ran through him. “I meant, why did it have to be me who would get caught in the rain and invited to stay the night in the apartment of the crush I’ve been working to get over ever since I went to college because it was never, ever going to happen, and I thought I’d been making good progress until I saw you again tonight and then, just when I thought I’d at least get to go home and scream into my pillow in peace, my car breaks down.” He paused for breath, face turning increasingly red even as he met Derek’s eyes defiantly. “That’s what I meant.” And then he shivered again.

Derek felt like all the air had been punched out of his lungs about halfway through that. He sucked in a new breath and crossed the distance between them to take the towel from Stiles, using it to try to chafe some warmth back into his arms.

“ _Never, ever_ seems a bit strong to me,” he said, eyes firmly on the towel.

Stiles grabbed his hands, stilling them. “Derek. Don’t.”

Derek’s turn for a defiant confession, apparently. He glared at Stiles. “Why shouldn’t I? I enjoyed seeing everyone tonight, but you’re the only one I was sad to see leave. I’ve _missed_ you.” He looked away again. “It’s too quiet when you’re not here.” He squeezed Stiles’ fingers, hoping he could somehow transmit his sincerity through touch if nothing else. “And you’re freezing. C’mon.”

Stiles balked. “Come on where? Am I even awake?”

“To get dry clothes. And yes, you’re awake. We both are,” Derek assured him, pressing each of his fingers one at a time into Stiles’ hand.

“Oh my god,” Stiles said faintly, raising his shaking free hand to Derek’s face. Derek tilted his face into it slightly, and then followed the slight pressure of Stiles’ fingers as he pulled Derek in for a tentative kiss, barely a brush of their lips, but still entirely overwhelming for what it represented. Stiles buried his face in Derek’s shoulder and wrapped his arms firmly around his back, like he never intended to let go.

That was fine with Derek. “Stay,” he repeated into the side of Stiles’ neck. “Stay here tonight. Stay with me. I’ll keep you warm.” _I’ll keep you safe_ , he didn’t say, but by the way Stiles’ arms tightened around him, Derek thought he heard it anyway.


End file.
